Folding chair



EPSTEAN FOLDING CHAIR Filed Dec. 5, 1

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1 Claim. -(Cl.155148)' This: invention relates to a folding or collapsible chair. object of this inventionis to provide a strong, sturdy chair having a weight supporting arm surface or platform integral with it. The chair and arm surface fold together into a compaet convenient size when not in use, the. armsurface and seat lying closelyadjacent to and substantially parallel to one another with the back and arms sandwiched therebetween.

Another object is to provide such a chair which is com fortable and which is easy and simple to set up.

Still another object is to provide a chair of this kind which though very sturdy is light in weight, hence portable, and which is also relatively inexpensive.

These and other objects will in part be understood from and in part pointed out in the description given hereinafter.

There are numerous occasions such as when projecting movies or when dining in the outdoors when it would be most convenient to have on hand a chair with a sturdy, good-sized work surface support platform. However, because of its very nature, a properly built chair of this kind in the past was relatively heavy, and if it had a conveniently large support platform, was bulky, cumbersome, and difficult to move from one place to another, especially if it had to be transported in an automobile. The present invention in answer to this problem provides an easily foldable and portable chair having the sturdiness and comfort of a large arm-rest or tablet-arm chair of conventional non-folding construction.

In accordance with the present invention a chair seat, of sufiicient size for uncramped seating is fitted on each side with a pair of legs hinged to it and which fold beneath and within the bottom of the seat. Hinged to the rear edge of the seat is an upstanding back which together with two arm linkages forms a parallelogram adapted to fold forward on each side of the seat. Pivoted on the outer end of one arm is a horizontal work platform or shelf top which can be swung around in a horizontal plane. By virtue of this pivoted attachment the arm can readily swing away from the seat to permit a person to sit down and can then be swung in to provide a close-up support or writing platform. This pivoted platform is strongly reinforced so that even though cantilever mounted, it is able to support an appreciable Weight as for example a movie projector. When the chair is up, it cannot accidentally collapse since the legs are locked open by the back when it moves upright relative to the seat.

When the chair is completely folded, the parallelogram linkages advantageously move the supporting or writing surface into a position parallel to and a short distance away from the chair seat with the back and arms sandwiched between them, thus forming a convenient compact assembly. The legs of the chair lie recessed within the bottom of the seat.

A better understanding of the invention together with 7 a fuller appreciation of its many advantages will best be 2,984,294 Patented May 16, 1961 2 gained from the following description given in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair embodying features of the invention and shown occupied by a person and supporting a slide projector;

Figure 2' is a side view of the chair with the back and arms folded partway forward;

Figure 3 is a section view taken as indicated by lines 3-3 in Figure 2; and

'Figure 4 is a side View of the chair completely folded.

The chair 10 seen is Figure 1 comprises a seat 12 beneath which are'hinged along the right side the pair of legs 14 and along the left side the pair of legs 16. Hinged to the rear side corners of the seat at points 18 and 20(see also Figures 2 and 3) is the chair back 22, which as in Figure 1 wherein the chair is completely erect, lies about 10 behind a perpendicular angle to the seat. This back is held erect by the hook extensions 24 and 26 integral with the frame of the back and extending'below the-gpivots. -1'8;.and1 20 r'espectively. When the chair is erect these extensions bear against the legs thereby holding the back upright, at the same time they engage around the legs (see Figure 3) and lock them into their unfolded positions.

As seen in Figure 2, the back of the chair has pivoted to it near its middle at point 28 right side arm 30 whose forward end is pivoted at 32 to the support link 34. The lower end of this link is pivoted to the seat at 36, the distance between pivots 18 and 36 and between pivots 28 and 32 being substantially equal, and the distances between pivots 18 and 28 and between pivots 32 and 36 being substantially equal. As a result, arm 30 folds forward parallel to the seat. The left arm and link are the mirror images of the right ones shown.

Pivoted to arm 30 above pivot 32 on a fixed upright pin 38 is the cantilever shelf or platform 40. This includes a tubular sleeve 42 fitted around pin .38 and a flat, square surface 44 attached at its right rear corner to the top of sleeve 42. To give added rigidity to the surface 44, there is provided a strut 46 running to the front part of the surface board from sleeve 42. Sleeve 42 is fitted with set screw 48 engageable against pin 38 so that platform 40 can be locked in the position desired.

To fold the chair, platform 40 is swung outward from the position shown in Figure 1. Then back 22 is moved forward and down against the seat as indicated in Figure 2. The moving forward of back 22 disengages extensions 24 and 26 and releases the legs. Legs 14 (see Figure 3) can then be swung beneath seat 12 about their pivot 50 to the dotted lines position shown, and similarly legs 16 swung about pivot 52 beneath the seat, pivot 50 and legs 14 lying closer to the bottom of the seat than pivot 52 and legs 16. With the legs and back folded, as indicated in Figure 4, platform 40 can then be rotated over and above the seat and back and locked in position to give a compact folded unit.

As seen in Figure 3, seat 12 has downturned sides 54 which not only provide a recess space for the legs when folded but also help hold the legs when spread apart, the feet of the legs when spread being positioned out from beneath the seat for added stability. The back, arms and legs of the chair can advantageously be made of wrought iron.

Advantageously, the parallelogram linkage arrangement of the arm 30 serves to maintain the surface 44 of the platform 40 always in parallel relationship with the seat. As a result, when the chair is folded up, the surface 44 can be swung in parallel with the seat 12 with the back 22 conveniently sandwiched therebetween forming o a compact assembly for storage or moving about.

The above description of the invention is intended in Illustration and not in limitation thereof. Various changes may occur to those skilled in the art and these may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth.

A folding chair having improved operating convenience andstrength, said chair comprising a .seat having downturned sides defining a recess space beneath the seat, an upstanding back hinged to the rear of said seat and adapted to'fold forward, two pairs of legs attached to said seat on opposite sides and adapted to fold beneath it crosswise to said back within said recess space, downwardly projecting elements carried by .said back .to engage the rear ones of said .legs and lock themunfolded when said back is upright, an arm generally parallel to saidseat at one side thereof, means pivotally connecting said arm to said lack at a point spaced above said seat, a link .pivotally connected between a forward portion of said;seat and a forward portion of said arm, said link, seat, arm and the lower portion of the back beneath said point forming a parallelogram linkage, said arm thereby remaining parallel with the seat when in folded position, an arm rest platform, mounting means secured to said arm and pivotally connecting said platform to said arm for swinging movement of said platform about an axis generally perpendicular to the arm, the plane of swinging movement of said platform being above said arm, and in a plane just above the level of said back and arm when the back and arm are folded against said seat, whereby said chair can be folded compactly with said legs beneath said seat and said platformswung to the rear closely above said back and seat;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 404,610 Engebretsen June 4, 1889 1,228,618 Thum June 5, 1917 1,598,468 Whall Aug. 31, 1926 1,659,572 Klemm Feb. 21, 1928 1,876,408 Gibson Sept. 6, 1932 1,992,434 Kosanek Feb. 26, 1935 2,203,076 Baxter June 4, 1940 2,617,473 Kr'imstock et a1. Nov.'1'1, 1952 FOREIGN. PATENTS 209,957 Switzerland Aug. 16, 1940 799,406 France Apr. 4, 1936 

